Chapter 116

“Janamejaya said, ‘O sinless one, thou hast narrated to me from thebeginning all about the birth of Dhritarashtra’s hundred sons owing tothe boon granted by the Rishi. But thou hast not told me as yet anyparticulars about the birth of the daughter.

Thou hast merely said thatover and above the hundred sons, there was another son named Yuyutsubegotten upon a Vaisya woman, and a daughter. The great Rishi Vyasa ofimmeasurable energy said unto the daughter of the king of Gandhara thatshe would become the mother of a hundred sons. Illustrious one, how isthat thou sayest Gandhari had a daughter over and above her hundred sons?If the ball of flesh was distributed by the great Rishi only into ahundred parts, and if Gandhari did not conceive on any other occasion,how was then Duhsala born. Tell me this, O Rishi! my curiosity hath beengreat.”

“Vaisampayana said, ‘O descendant of the Pandavas, thy question is just,and I will tell thee how it happened. The illustrious and great Rishihimself, by sprinkling water over that ball of flesh, began to divide itinto parts. And as it was being divided into parts, the nurse began totake them up and put them one by one into those pots filled withclarified butter. While this process was going on, the beautiful andchaste Gandhari of rigid vows, realising the affection that one feelethfor a daughter, began to think within herself, ‘There is no doubt that Ishall have a hundred sons, the Muni having said so. It can never beotherwise. But I should be very happy if a daughter were born of me overand above these hundred sons and junior to them all. My husband then mayattain to those worlds that the possession of a daughter’s sonsconferreth. Then again, the affection the women feel for theirsons-in-law is great. If, therefore, I obtain a daughter over and abovemy hundred sons, then, surrounded by sons and daughter’s sons, I may feelsupremely blest. If I have ever practised ascetic austerities, if I haveever given anything in charity, if I have ever performed the homa(through Brahamanas), if I have ever gratified my superiors by respectfulattentions, then (as the fruit of those acts) let a daughter be born untome.’ All this while that illustrious and best of Rishis,Krishna-Dwaipayana himself was dividing the ball of flesh; and counting afull hundred of the parts, he said unto the daughter of Suvala, ‘Here arethy hundred sons. I did not speak aught unto thee that was false. Here,however, is one part in excess of the hundred, intended for giving thee adaughter’s son. This part shall develop into an amiable and fortunatedaughter, as thou hast desired’ Then that great ascetic brought anotherpot full of clarified butter, and put the part intended for a daughterinto it.

“Thus have I, O Bharata, narrated unto thee all about the birth ofDuhsala. Tell me, O sinless one, what more I am now to narrate.'”